Of all the skin types a man can have, an oily one is by far the most annoying. Usually the result of the male sex hormone testosterone triggering sebaceous glands to produce an oil spill’s worth of sebum (the skin’s natural oil), greasy skin doesn’t just look like it’s been coated with gloss varnish, it’s more prone to blackheads, whiteheads and unsightly breakouts, too.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are several things you can do to solve oil-slick skin without having to call in Greenpeace. All you need is the right tools and a little sage advice from the experts.

Here’s how to ease the oozing:

Ditch The Soap

Cleansing is the bedrock of any solid grooming routine but guys with oily skin are often overzealous with the products they use, thinking that, by using powerful cleansers frequently, they’ll get rid of the grease for good.

Bad move, says Sally Penford of The International Dermal Institute. “If you’ve got oily skin, you should avoid using aggressive soaps and alkaline cleansers, as well as over-cleansing,” she says.

“Your skin is a well-designed organ that […] needs a balance of lubricants for protection. If you strip it of all of its natural oils, it will a) become dehydrated and probably quite sensitive, and b) it will gradually start to produce more oil in an effort to compensate for all your scouring – the last thing you want!”

Instead, Penford recommends using glycerine-based cleansers especially formulated for oily skin or those featuring oil-absorbing clay.

Turn Down The Heat

Both stress and friction can stimulate oil production, so keeping a level head and not fiddling with your face are key in avoiding excessive oiliness.

Heat is another trigger, so skip long, hot showers and wash your face with warm, rather than piping hot, water. Remember that warmer weather can also have an impact. “People with oily skin can suffer a little more in the summer,” says Penford. “Heat causes sebaceous glands to become more active, leading to excess oil production and therefore more oily shine and potential breakouts.”